Automatic flushing apparatus for water-closets and urinals.



J. F. LEANHART.

AUTOMATIC FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR WATER CLOSETS AND URINALS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9, 1917.

51 v1 uentoz z aizvarf Putenied Dec. 31, 1918.

JACOB F. LEANHART, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC FLUSHING APPARATUS FOR WATEB-CLOSETS AND URINALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.-

Application filed August 9, 1917. Serial No. 185,403.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACO F. LEANHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Flushing Apparatus for Water- Closets and Urinals, of which the following is a speci: fication.

This invention relates to automatic flushing means adapted for general use but particularly intended for applicationto and operative in conjunction with a flushing tank of a water closet or urinal, and the primary object of the invention is to provide simple and reliable automatically operating siphon means for installation in a tank to replace the usual form of float ball, lever and cock, and capable of being readily mounted in active position with reliability, durability and certainty as to practical service. j The invention consists essentially of a double S-trap siphon mounted in a water tank and having an'auxiliary siphon and trap tube to establish a-more positive water seal and produce an apparatus of this'class having greater hygienic value, the water supply prolongation of. the "flushing operation being regulable byadjustment of a tank supply -faucet or valve. 1

The invention further consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed; Y 7 In thedrawingz' Figure l is a section of a tank showing the improved double S-trap and auxiliary siphon' attachment therefor. v V

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken inthe plane of the'line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof'a portion of the tank and the improved trap and siphon attachment. pThe numeral 5 designates a tank provided-with a faucet or valve 6 to control the supplyof water to the tank from any suitable source. The exact location of the fan cet or valve is not essential as the supply of waterto the tank maybe eifected in many ways and supply connection to various parts of thetank may be made for this purpose- The tank may be modified in dimensions so as to increase. or decrease the holding capacity thereof and correspondingly vary the volume of liberated water and prolongation of the flushing service at timed intervals.

The improvement comprises a double 8- trap siphon 7 having inner and outer mem-' bers 8 and 19 connected by a lower elbow 10 and each member provided with two components having upper elbows 11 and 1-2. The outer component 13 of the outer mem-' oer 9 has a discharge connection or threaded terminal 14 extending. through the tank bottom 15 for attachment of a suitable length of pipe for conveying the water to a water closet-or urinal. The double S-trap siphon 7 is provided with an auxiliary siphon attachment forming the essential feature of the present invention and located wholly exterior of the said trap. This auxiliary siphon attachment embodies legs 16 and 17 connected by a lower elbow 18, each leg extending'vertically straight from the said elbow 18 for a portion of its length as-at'19 and 20 respectively, the leg 16 being longer than the leg*17.' The elbow 18 has a communicable connection to the elbow 10 of the double S-trap siphon 7 by a horizontally disposed afterfill tube or pipe 21. The legs 16 and 17 diverge above the vertically straight portions 19 and'20 thereof, and the upper end ofthe leg 19 isconnected to and communicates withtheelbow 11 of the in ner memberuof the double .S-trap siphon.

The upper-end of the leg 17 is connected to and communicates with the outer component of the outer member 9' below the elbow 12 and at or slightly below the normalwater seal level. It. will be seen that the entire auxiliary siphon attachment is exteriorly located relatively to the double S-trap siphon 7 along onesideof the latter,*the purpose of this. particular application-being to avoid diminishing in the least the interior area and providing for an increased efl'iciency of operation of the said double 3- trap siphon.-v The trap 7 and auxiliary siphon attachment may beplaced in any position withinthetank, either-parallel or at right angles to the front of the tank as may be most convenient Water is permitted to enter the tank 5 by opening thewater inlet faucet or valve 6 until it fills the tank to a level of about two inches over the. top of the double S-trap siphon .7, a small waterseal forming in the auxiliary siphon attachment during this filling operation. -When the water-reaches the level in the tank just specified, forces the small Water sealout of the auxiliary siphon attachment and the Water subsequently flows. into the double S-trap siphon 7 forcing What air remains therein through the auxiliary siphon attachment.- and causing the trap to be formed into a. complete siphon which effectively empties. the tank 5. The Wat r in the do ble S-trap n he lbovv 10' of jthe latter; having found its level then passes through the afte'rfill tube or' pipe 2ljintothe said" elbow l8 ,'thereby forming in the elbow 18 a Water s eal which remains until the water again rises in the tank to the predetermined level hereinbefore eX plained. As the Water rises in the tank 5,

it compresses the air between the elbows 101 and 11, causing the Water seal in the elbow 10 to rise'in themember 9 and pass the afterfilltube orp'ipe 21, allowing the air to pass into the; elbow 18 through the tube or pipe 21' and forcing the Water seal out of the elbow. 18 throughfthetube or pipeor auxiliary siphoIi membeliN' which has its upper jend' connected .toithe outlet member 13' of the main or double S-t'rap siphon sligl'it'ly below the Water level of the memher 9 next adjacent to the member 13. In consequence of this action, the Water level in the auxiliary siphon is rendered slightly lower than the water level in the member 9, andicausesthe water seal in the elbow 18ito be broken andjallows the air to freely pass from elbow 11, to the-member 13', thereby permittingthe vvater to fill the entire double jS-trap siphon; and producing 'a complete siphon which effectively empties the tank 5.

r The afterfilltubeQl connecting the elbow 10 andthe elbow 18 respectively ofthe main siphon and the siphon attachment has a function which is essentialto theregularity pf operation of'the main or double S-trap a nea, Withoutthis aae'rfiu tu e or pipe the water. sealin; the elbow 18. at the close of .theoperationlof the main siphon will be broken and allow the air from the elbow 1 1 to pass through the auxiliary siphon directly to the outer leg 13'of the main siphon, and should this happen the entire siphon would be out of commission. Therefore, the afterfill tube orpipe 21 allows a partof v the water, at the close 'of the operation of thesiphon. to pass fro'mzthe elbow 10 into theelbow. 18 and forms -a water seal which prevents airkfrom passing into the leg 1'3 and thereby prepares the main siphon to operate perfectly and regularly at Whatever i erval- -.v he d si d n ad i n, he tube or plpe 17 after carrying oil the. air care ries off a part of the water into the outermember 9 of the double S-trap through the leg. 17', thereby 1nsuri'ng a larger watervolnine in said member than in the intermediate portion of the trap with consequent efiiciency in the flushing operation, as loss in volume, due to friction in the double S-trap is thus overcome, sA soon as the flushing operation is complete and the main volume of water flows through the lower. elbow 10 of the double S-trap, allowing the air to pass into the trap with the Water, the air rises to reaches the predetermined level in thelt an'k over'flle p h inter a f-flushin operation-being regulable by the rapidity'ojf inflow of the Water into the tank or "the frequency of predetermined level recurrence in the tank. If the tank is increased in 'size.

double Strap siphon, the intervals of I ing discharge will be longer. :In all applif-f cations of the improved trap 'andj its aux; iliary attachment, the flushing operation will be automatically effected so liong jas Water is admited to the tank in whichfthe apparatus is disposed. Ther ef ore, theap' paratus needs no attention after it'i'sj started. f It will alsobe noted thatthe member 13' threaded terminal orfcoupling end] 14:. Ilhe object of this taper istochoke thewater in the outer or outlet leg of the donble jS-trap siphon 7 in order-to fprevent the water in the member 13 fromf'flow'ingiout' too-f 2 51 and also to fill saidmernbersolid'jwithvva e If this memberi13 wasnQt aperedthe water passing through it without being retarded to overcome its gravityvv'ould cause Capacity. i t same dimensions-0f is tapered fr m' h elbow- 12downt01t'he' a certain amount of air to pass into the said 7 outlet and prevent the siphon from perfectly operating. This taper and the operation 'ensuing therefrom is-jespecially advantageous when the pipe between or urinal is veryshort.

, What is claimed is; e 1, A tank with water. supply means, .a

main double S-trap siphon therein vhaving the .tank-and bowl r an outlet through the tank, and.an .au ;iliary siphon attachment applieda-longone side i and wholly exterior, of-thesaid mainfldouble Str p Siphon nd a n er en ee members of different lengths an [elbow r pect y nn c ed the -e d ewerf' elbow of the main double S trap siphon, th e connection between. the elbow ofthe attachment and the lowerelbow of the double 8; trap siphon causingthe-formation. of awater seal in the lower elbow of att'ach ment to prevent the passage of airfromthe inner to the outer leg of the double S-trap bers at different elevations and provided with an elbow :'having an afterfill pipe con- ;nected to the lower intermediate elbow of the main double S-trap siphon to cause a water seal to formthe elbow of the attachment at the conclusion of the operation of the siphon as a whole to prevent the escape of air from the inner to the outer legs of the main siphon.

3. A tank with a continual water supply means, a mainigdouble S-trap siphon in the tank having allioutlet through a portion of the latter and provided with a lower intermediate elbowg and an auxiliary siphon attachment with: a lower elbow and applied along one side and wholly exterior of the said main siphon and connected at three different points to the main siphon, one of the connections consisting of an afterfill pipe between the lower elbow of the auxiliary siphon attachment and the lower elbow of the main siphon to-cause the formation of a water seal in the elbow of the attachment sub sequently to the operation of the siphon as a whole to prevent the passage of airfrom the inner to the outer legs of the main siphon.

i. A tank provided with a continuous flowing water supply, a double S-trap si' phon mounted; therein and having an outlet therethrough, said siphon having inner and outer members with upper elbows and connected by a lower elbow, an auxiliary siphon attachment applied at one side to the said trapsiphon and wholly exterior of the latter, the attachment having upwardly extending divergent legs of dilferent lengths respectively connected to the inner and outer members anda lower elbow, and an afterfill tube connection between the lower elbow of the double -S -trap' siphon and the lower elbow of said attachment, the said tube maintaining a water seal which is automatically overcome whensufiicient head of water is 55 admitted tojthe tank.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J AOOB F. LEANHART.

Witnesses:

SADIE J. 'GRAUMAN, Louis H. SAUER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner Patents.

ashington, D. 0. 

